Hymns of Hope: What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Many of the hymns were born out of immense sorrow. In this series, we will examine these songs of old, discover the circumstances behind when they were written, and find comfort in the lyrics that so powerfully point us to the hope of Christ.
My grief was overrun with the sin of fear and distrust. Out of that struggle, I learned to pray in a new way. I know that sounds so elementary, but I want to be honest about how groundbreaking this simple act was in my life after loss.
Before loss, I loved learning about truth and reading Scripture. I could recall and apply many concepts and verses from God’s Word. I had grown deeply in my intimacy with Jesus, yet my prayer life still lacked. I knew prayer was important and practiced this discipline, but I hadn’t adopted prayer into my walk with Jesus in a personal way. I often listened to Him talk (through the Word), but failed to talk to Him about what I was dealing with. Experiencing deep sadness shifted my mindset about prayer from a way to ask for needs to a way of experiencing friendship with Jesus more deeply through two-way communication.
It wasn’t a specific verse that made this concept click for me one day, but there was a moment when I was sitting on my porch, journaling and reading my Bible during a particularly fearful season, when a distant memory of a hymn came to mind:
“What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!”
I didn’t grow up in church, and my current church doesn’t sing hymns often, so I’m not sure where this memory came from. I couldn’t even completely recall the lyrics, so I immediately searched for the song and listened. The entirety of the lyrics hit me: it’s a privilege to be able to carry everything to God in prayer. I thought, “Have I been missing out on this privilege all these years as I’ve chosen to carry only some things to God in prayer?”
There were many things I was afraid of, and in my mind I had listed them over and over in an attempt to figure out how to avoid them. I often listed them for friends I’m sure, but rarely, if ever, did I list them for Jesus. This new realization taught me to pray, not simply to receive an answer, but to grow in my relationship with Him. Through prayer, I began to learn to trust Him more. It was a privilege that I had not fully partaken in as a believer.
Friendship with the Lord isn’t a concept that is overtly shared through Scripture, but we can infer His desire for such a relationship with us. The Psalms reveal David’s desire for intimacy with God, and God responded, in Psalm 139, with an explanation of how He knows us as a true friend would. James 4:4 describes friendship with the world as the opposite of being friends with God. Abraham was specifically referred to as a friend of God (James 2:23). In John 15, Jesus exhorts the disciples to love each other well in response to their friendship with Him, and He calls them friends because of the time they had spent together and all that had been shared between them (John 15:15). Finally, Jesus describes a friend as someone who would lay down their life for another (John 15:13) which was exactly how His of love for us was most greatly displayed.
As followers of Jesus, we can also partake in friendship with Him—defined by closeness and sharing— grounded in obedience to Him. Although Christ is not physically present, we can deepen our friendship with Him through prayer and by His Spirit at work in us. What a friend we have in Jesus!
“O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!”
I spent many years forfeiting peace in an attempt to carry my burdens on my own shoulders. I still struggle with the temptation to bear too much. My fears remain heavy, but never as heavy as they were in the days after I first learned my daughter would die. I found that my self-perceived strength in carrying things on my own was actually my greatest weakness—pride, distrust, and self-reliance. I realized God’s strength would shine through my weakness if I would only release what I held so closely; prayer was the key to doing so.
“Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.”
Trouble was indeed everywhere when it came to my grief. I was tried and tempted with envy, anger, and fear at, what felt like, every turn. I was sorrowful, discouraged, and so very weak, but in that deep despair, I learned that Jesus understood it all. He was a faithful friend who was always near. Knowing this, I was drawn to learn how to pray and share all of life’s details with Him. I began forming the habit of quickly reverting to prayer in order to combat my worries and fears. These prayers were rarely fancy or long, but I’ve learned that each one is important to God, and I’ve come to see that it truly is a privilege to bring my troubles to the God of all creation in prayer.
The words of this hymn were originally written by Joseph Scriven as a poem of comfort for his mother. Joseph had lost his fiancé to death the day before their wedding and later endured the death of another woman he loved before they too could wed. He knew deep sorrow and grief, and I imagine that, like me, he probably had many questions for God, wondering if he would ever feel peace and solace again. I would assume that throughout his grief he struggled with sin as his weaknesses floated to the surface. Yet, with all of this in mind, when I read the words he wrote, I also see that he trusted the Lord to carry the burdens that weighed so heavily on him. He took refuge in his Savior and found great comfort and peace through prayer.
Although we may not all write poems or hymns out of our grief, we each have a platform of some kind to share about our unique experiences. Joseph learned the importance of prayer in his grief; I can definitely relate to that simple revelation in my own grief. But what about you? Is friendship with God through prayer something you have practiced during this difficult time? Where has God met you uniquely in your grief? How can you share with others the truths that you’ve learned through losing your baby(ies)? I encourage you to seek friendship with Jesus and ask Him where He may have you share your story.
“Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.”
- Kayla
Hope Mom to Anna Joy
Kayla is married to Justin in sunny south Florida where they enjoy life together with friends & family. Kayla is a teacher at heart, nurse by profession, & lover of truth! She serves as a volunteer nurse at her local Care-Net & enjoys women’s ministry discipleship especially in the areas of grief, marriage, & infertility. You can follow more of her musings on grief here.
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